Christina Banthin
About Christina Banthin
Christina (“Chris”) Banthin, age 55, has served on Corebridge Financial’s Board since 2024 and is classified as a non‑independent director designated by AIG. Her credentials center on corporate governance, legal oversight, and strategic separation execution in the insurance industry, including service as Corebridge’s former Chief Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary and currently as AIG’s Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American International Group (AIG) | Senior Vice President & Corporate Secretary | 2024–Present | Oversees governance, disclosure, and board administration at a major shareholder of Corebridge |
| American International Group (AIG) | Associate General Counsel, Separation Initiatives | 2021–2022 | Legal leadership for separation transactions and governance transition |
| Corebridge Financial | Chief Corporate Counsel & Corporate Secretary | 2022–2023 | Built governance infrastructure post‑IPO; board/committee processes |
| Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company | Managing Director and various positions | 1998–2021 | Long‑tenured legal/strategic roles in insurance |
| Coopers & Lybrand LLP | Associate | 1994–1998 | Early career audit/consulting foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Nature | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIG | Strategic shareholder/affiliated party | SVP & Corporate Secretary | AIG held designation rights for Corebridge directors; Banthin is an AIG affiliate |
| Other U.S. public company boards | Directorships | None | No other public boards disclosed for Banthin |
Board Governance
- Independence status: Non‑independent (AIG Director); Committees: None .
- Tenure: Director since 2024; one year at time of 2025 proxy .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, the Board held four meetings; each director attended ≥75% of Board/Committee meetings, with ~99% overall attendance for all current/former directors as a group; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Governance structure context: As AIG reduced its ownership, Corebridge moved to a majority‑independent Board and appointed an independent Chair; formed Compensation & Management Development, Nominating & Corporate Governance, and Risk Committees since the Majority Holder Threshold Date .
- Director service limits, executive sessions, and self‑assessments are active governance practices; robust clawback and stock ownership policies apply company‑wide .
Fixed Compensation
- Policy: Only independent non‑employee directors receive compensation; committee service typically only compensated for chairs. No perquisites; compensation mix emphasizes equity via DSUs that vest immediately but settle only upon termination of Board service .
- Banthin compensation (2024): Not compensated (dashes in proxy table), consistent with policy for affiliated/non‑independent directors .
| Name | Fees Earned/Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Banthin | — | — | — | — |
Performance Compensation
- Directors do not receive performance‑based equity awards (no PSUs/options tied to metrics for directors) .
| Performance Element | Policy for Directors | Applies to Banthin |
|---|---|---|
| Performance‑based equity (PSUs/Options tied to KPIs) | Not provided to non‑employee directors | No |
| Grant settlement | DSUs settle after Board departure; accrue dividend equivalents | Not applicable (no DSU awards disclosed for Banthin) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship Type | Details | Governance Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIG | Controlling shareholder (historical)/affiliated party | AIG held rights to designate directors and consent to certain actions; rights scale down with ownership; Banthin is an AIG designee | Affiliation presents potential conflict risks; mitigated via independence assessments and committee composition requirements |
| Nippon | Significant shareholder | Board seats designated per Nippon agreements; independent director appointed; committee participation structured | Multi‑party governance influences; committee independence maintained |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Qualifications emphasize corporate strategy, governance, and regulatory oversight in insurance; perspective as former Corebridge Chief Corporate Counsel/Corporate Secretary and current AIG Corporate Secretary .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership as of proxies:
| As‑of | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 29, 2024 | 18,933 | <1% | Footnote lists DSUs for certain directors; Banthin not listed among DSU holders in 2024 footnote |
| April 16, 2025 | 23,484 | <1% | 2025 footnote details DSUs for named directors; Banthin not included among DSU holders, indicating primarily direct share ownership |
- Hedging/pledging: Company prohibits hedging, pledging, or short sales of Corebridge securities by directors, officers, and employees .
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Non‑employee directors must hold 5x the annual cash retainer (for 2024, $600,000) in Common Stock (including DSUs); settlement deferral aligns long‑term interests .
- Section 16 compliance: One late Form 4 filed for Banthin on January 6, 2025 regarding a December 23, 2024 transaction; attributed to administrative error .
Governance Assessment
- Committee assignments and independence: Banthin is an AIG‑affiliated, non‑independent director with no committee roles, limiting direct influence over audit, compensation, or risk oversight—consistent with governance design that concentrates committee work among independent directors .
- Alignment and compensation: Banthin receives no director compensation or DSU grants under Corebridge’s policy for non‑independent directors, reducing pay‑related conflict risk; her equity stake remains de minimis, with no pledging permitted .
- Conflicts and related parties: AIG’s historical designation and consent rights, coupled with Banthin’s current AIG executive role, represent a structural conflict vector; mitigants include formal related‑party review processes, scaled‑down AIG rights as ownership fell, and a majority‑independent Board with an independent Chair .
- Attendance and engagement: Board‑level attendance in 2024 was robust (~99% group attendance); directors must meet ≥75% attendance or face non‑nomination, supporting engagement expectations .
- RED FLAGS:
- AIG affiliation/interlock—Banthin’s AIG executive role and designation as a non‑independent director create perceived influence risk over Corebridge governance and strategy .
- Late Section 16 filing (administrative error) signals minor compliance slippage; isolated but noteworthy for monitoring .
- Overall signal: Governance posture has strengthened (majority‑independent Board, independent Chair, formal committees), but investors should monitor residual AIG influence pathways and ensure related‑party safeguards and committee independence remain effective as ownership and board composition evolve .